Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
COUPLABLE PORTABLE DEVICE FOR THE THERMAL-MEDICAL TREATMENT OF
SKIN
The invention relates to a couplable device for the thermal-medical treatment
of skin, in
particular in the case of skin irritations or minor injuries as can be
induced, for example, by
insect bites or plants.
A device for the local thermal treatment of insect bites is already known in
this context from EP
1 231 875 Bl, which is capable of acting on the affected skin region using a
heat treatment.
Specifically, this device is equipped with a heating element, which is
embodied as an electrical
heating plate and is powered by a voltage source (not specified in greater
detail). In this case, the
temperature of the heating plate is limited to a highest temperature of 50-65
, preferably of 55
to 60 , to avoid possible burns. Moreover, this temperature is only maintained
for a time frame
of a few seconds. To ensure this, the heating element is provided with a
temperature sensor and
with a control unit in order to control the corresponding heat treatment, in
particular the
temperature used and the duration of the mentioned treatment according to the
above-explained
specifications. In practice, however, it is rather impractical to carry along
a heating plate in
conjunction with outdoor activities.
In the case of the above-mentioned skin irritations, it has been shown that
the effectiveness of the
mentioned heat treatment is also dependent, inter alia, on the mentioned heat
treatment being
carried out as rapidly as possible. However, because the mentioned skin
irritations are primarily
caused by insect bites, plants, or also fish, algae, or jellyfish or other
cnidarians, thus frequently
in the so-called outdoor area, it is advisable to carry out the mentioned heat
treatment as rapidly
as possible, i.e., best directly on location. It is self-evident that the most
compact possible
solution enables continuous carrying along and thus a timely treatment.
Moreover, a method for treating dry eyes is known from US 2017/0079834 Al, in
which
heatable strips are applied above and below the human eye, which are each
connected via
current-conducting cables to a programmable control unit, which controls the
further treatment
of the mentioned eye parts. This control unit is additionally connected to a
portable electronic
1
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
device, for example, a smart phone or a tablet. The power supply of the
heatable strips is
performed, however, via the control unit, so that a suitable energy
accumulator also has to be
integrated into this control unit.
A portable device for treating external boils, i.e., swelling of the human
body, is previously
known from WO 2015/1909397 Al, which also teaches acting on the affected body
parts using
heated strips or compresses. A heat treatment is also carried out here,
wherein it is also expected
here of the user that he carries along a comparatively voluminous portable
unit for the case of a
corresponding injury to be able to treat the mentioned body swelling in an
emergency.
Finally, a portable item of clothing is known from US 2017/017 2227, in
particular for clothing
the upper body, in which so-called micro-tubes are incorporated, wherein each
of these tubes is
provided with an inlet and an outlet, so that it is possible to conduct heated
or cooled air through
these micro-tubes to provide cooling or heating to the user. Moreover, this
piece of clothing is
provided with an environmental sensor for detecting the ambient temperature,
so that an
automatic regulation is possible in dependence on the ambient temperature and
the presets
presumably selected by the user. This thus relates to a temperature control of
the human body, in
particular the upper body, but not to a treatment of possible skin
irritations.
Moreover, devices are already known which can alleviate the itching and the
swelling of insect
bites in a targeted manner by means of concentrated heat and a micro-
electrical controller (EP
1231875, CN102429762A, US000007537605B2, US000007637930B2, DE202012100037,
DE202014104077U1, W02007/082648, DE 000019954424 Al). All above devices share
the
feature that they function independently and are provided with a housing which
is also required
for handling the previously known devices during the heat treatment. None of
the cited devices is
Internet-capable or otherwise networked.
As a result, all previously known devices thus appear unsuitable for
physically active outdoor
use, for example, for types of sports such as free climbing or mountain biking
or also longer
bicycle tours or hikes, in which the baggage carried along is generally
limited, because they
2
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
cannot be reasonably carried along as a result of the weight and the size
thereof. This also applies
to carrying them along continuously in everyday use.
Proceeding from this prior art, the invention is based on the object of
providing a portable
device, which can be carried along easily in a space-saving and weight-saving
manner and
rapidly provides an initial alleviation or even a complete remedy in
conjunction with the
mentioned skin irritations.
This object is achieved by means of a portable device according to present
Claim 1.
Advantageous designs of the invention can be inferred from present Claims 2-
10.
According to present Claim 1, the invention relates to a portable device for
the thermal-medical
treatment of the skin, as is performed, for example, in conjunction with
insect bites or other skin
irritations. In this case, the device according to the invention essentially
consists of a small-
format treatment attachment, which is only a few centimeters wide and long and
can thus be
carried along without problems in the trouser pocket, for example.
The treatment attachment essentially consists of a housing and is equipped on
the lower side with
an interface for coupling to a mobile data processing unit. The treatment
attachment both has a
data connection to the mobile data processing unit and also is supplied with
electrical energy via
this interface. Due to the external power supply, the energy accumulator
typically integrated into
the mobile data processing unit can be used to energize a suitably arranged
heating element. The
surface thus heated can be placed by corresponding handling of the connected
data processing
unit onto the skin surface to be treated, so that it is subjected to a heat
treatment in a preferred
range between 50 and 65 .
This thermal treatment is used to alleviate the itching and for a more
favorable course of healing,
relating to the treatment of insect bites, snake venom, or urticants, as are
transferred, for
example, from plants or animals, such as jellyfish. The device according to
the invention can
additionally be used for treating herpes or other skin diseases.
3
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
For example, introduced toxicants are decomposed and the healing process is
accelerated as a
whole by the heat treatment. In this case, the course of treatment can be
displayed and followed
on the data processing unit via the data connection. The risk of possible
infections, for example,
as a result of insect bites or tick bites, is also reduced in this way.
In the coupled state, the handling of the small-format treatment attachment is
facilitated in that
the typically larger-area data processing unit can be used to place the
treatment attachment as
intended on the skin part to be treated.
In a specific design, a heating element, which is generally implemented by a
resistor which heats
up upon energizing, is arranged in the housing of the treatment attachment
directly below the
surface of the treatment attachment facing away from the data processing unit
in the coupled
state. A temperature sensor, via which the ambient temperature of the resistor
is detected, is
arranged directly adjacent to this heating element.
In a further design, the temperature sensor has a data connection via the
interface to the mobile
data processing unit, so that the temperature of the resistor can be
controlled and/or regulated via
suitable software.
In this case, both the mentioned heating element and also the temperature
sensor are connected to
the mobile data processing unit via the above-mentioned interface with a
microcontroller
interconnected. The control or regulation of the temperature of the resistor
is performed in this
case via the mentioned microcontroller and therefore if necessary
independently of the mobile
data processing unit. In this case, the heating element and the temperature
sensor can be
combined in a single component.
In one advantageous design of the invention, the interface is used not only
for the power supply
of the resistor employed for the heat treatment, but rather also for the data
connection to the
mobile data processing unit. In this way, further items of information, for
example, relating to
the course of treatment, can be transmitted to the data processing unit and
stored therein.
4
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
Moreover, the obtained data can also be used to obtain items of information
about potential
insect plagues, and also the spread of insects or illnesses.
In another advantageous design of the invention, the treatment attachment
itself can also already
be provided with a small energy accumulator, so that the treatment attachment
as such is usable
for an at least initial alleviating treatment if necessary, for example, if a
data processing unit is
not available or the data processing unit is not itself functional. Under
these circumstances, the
treatment attachment can optionally also be used as a stand-alone device.
The data obtained in conjunction with this treatment can be transmitted, for
example, wirelessly
via the microcontroller, i.e., for example, via Bluetooth, to the data
processing unit.
To enable the universal usage of the treatment attachment, the interface is
provided with the
conventional connectors for connection to typical data processing units, i.e.,
for example, a
lightning or USB connector. In principle, a wireless connection is also
possible, for example, via
Bluetooth or induction. The attachment is thus usable in conjunction with all
commercially
available mobile data processing units.
In one advantageous design, the invention is embodied as water-resistant or
even watertight to
enable the usage under difficult circumstances, i.e., for example, in rain,
and hygienic cleaning.
In another advantageous design, the mobile data processing unit is equipped
with software,
which can be used for operating and controlling the treatment attachment. To
improve the
functionality and the treatment carried out by means of the treatment
attachment, for example,
the user can store individual parameters, such as an application case,
affected body region, age,
sensitivity, or relevant illnesses in the software, so that the treatment can
be controlled and/or
regulated in consideration of these parameters.
Furthermore, the software can be used to make an emergency call in conjunction
with a location
specification, for example, upon the occurrence of defined events, i.e., for
example, if no further
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
activity or movement of the user of the device according to the invention can
be established after
a defined time after the treatment.
The invention is explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of an
exemplary embodiment.
In the figures:
Figure 1: shows a treatment attachment in a cross-sectional view,
Figure 2: shows a mobile data processing unit having connected
treatment
attachment, and
Figure 3: shows a block diagram of the function of the treatment
attachment
according to Figure 1.
According to the illustration in Figure 1, the treatment attachment 8
comprises a housing 6,
under which an interface 5 extends for connection to a mobile data processing
unit 7 (not shown
in this figure). A heating element 2, in the immediate vicinity of which a
temperature sensor 3 is
additionally arranged, is arranged inside the housing 6 directly below the
surface of the housing
6 facing away from the interface 5. As soon as the heating element 2 is
energized, the surface of
the housing 6 facing away from the interface 5 is accordingly heated, so that
a heat treatment is
executable using this heated section of the surface of the housing 6. The
power supply of the
heating element 2 takes place via an electrically conductive connection, which
is connected by
the interface 5 to the heating element 2 with a microcontroller 9
interconnected.
Figure 2 shows the treatment attachment 12 illustrated in Figure 1 in direct
contact with the
mobile data processing unit 7, specifically in which the interface 5 is
completely inserted into a
suitable connector opening, i.e., for example, a lightning or USB connector of
the mobile data
processing unit 7, so that the treatment attachment 12 is directly connected
to the data processing
unit 7. In this case, the power and data supply of the heating element 2 and
the microcontroller 4,
and also of the temperature sensor 3 associated with the heating element,
takes place via the
interface 5.
6
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
As is also apparent from this figure, the treatment attachment 12 protrudes
only slightly beyond
the data processing unit 7 in the coupled position, so that, for the treatment
of a skin irritation,
the mobile data processing unit 7 is used at the same time for handling the
treatment attachment
12, i.e., predominantly for the purpose of placing the surface of the
treatment attachment 12
facing away from the mobile data processing unit 7 on the affected skin part
for the purpose of
the heat treatment.
Figure 3 shows a block diagram in simplified form, relating to the circuit
arranged inside the
treatment attachment 12. Firstly, this circuit shows that, via the interface
5, the circuit arranged
in the housing is connected to the connected data processing unit 7 via a
power supply 10, and
via a data line 11 to the data processing unit 7.
In one specific design, the heating element 2 is a resistor. Both the
temperature sensor 3 and also
the heating element 2 are connected to the data processing unit 7 in this case
with a
microcontroller 9 interconnected.
It is not shown in the figure, but it is nonetheless possible and/or provided
in the scope of the
invention that a mobile application, i.e., in particular an app, which
primarily permits the heating
procedure to be started and suitable parameters to be specified, is installed
on the data processing
unit 7. The heating element 2 is then activated in dependence on these
settings, wherein the
procedure is controlled via the microcontroller 9, which moreover transmits
defined data for
visualizing and monitoring the treatment procedure to the mobile application
installed on the
data processing unit 7.
The microcontroller 9 is typically implemented as a component of the control
unit 4, wherein the
control unit 4 is typically additionally provided with a transistor circuit
for the power regulation
of the heating element.
Thus, for example, reaching a predetermined temperature or ending the
treatment procedure can
be transmitted to the data processing unit 7.
7
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
The temperature sensor which is also integrated into the housing 6 consists in
one advantageous
design of two sensors which are not thermally coupled to one another, wherein
one sensor
measures the temperature of the heating element, while the second sensor
detects the skin
temperature. The healing process can be accurately monitored and controlled on
the basis of this
arrangement.
The connection of the treatment attachment 12 to the mobile data processing
unit, in particular in
conjunction with the mobile application which is also installed on the data
processing unit 7,
enables the treatment procedure to be improved in that the mobile application
is firstly equipped
with data by the user himself, for example, relating to the health state of
the user, which can then
also be taken into consideration during the application of the treatment
attachment 12. Moreover,
the monitoring of the treatment process by the mobile application can also be
used to make an
emergency call if necessary, specifically, the parameters stored in the
control unit 4 would be
met, for example, if no further movement of the user occurs or other
parameters make an
emergency situation probable. In these cases, an emergency call with
specification of the
potential location of the user can be placed automatically via the mobile
application.
A portable device for the treatment of skin irritations or small injuries,
such as insect bites,
effects of stinging plants or cnidarians, is thus described above, which is
designed in a very small
format and can therefore be carried along easily. Only a connector on a mobile
data processing
unit, which is typically currently carried along by everyone, is required to
use the treatment
attachment 12.
8
CA 03069033 2020-01-06
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
1 coupling unit
2 heating element
3 temperature sensor
4 control unit
interface to a digital data processing unit
6 housing
7 mobile data processing unit
8
9 microcontroller
data line
11 power supply
12 treatment attachment
9
